The present invention relates to cooler bypass assemblies which permit fluid flow to a cooler only when the temperature of the fluid is above a certain temperature.
Cooler by-pass assemblies are connected to machinery that has fluid which may need to be cooled. A typical example of such machinery is an automotive transmission.
Cost reduction and fuel economy improvement initiatives brought about the need for a device that can cheaply and effectively regulate transmission fluid temperatures. This device is intended to ensure that the transmission fluid ramps up to optimum operating temperature as quick as possible and then regulates the fluid at that optimum temperature once it has been reached resulting in a measurable improvement in fuel economy.
The device typically includes a thermal relief valve circuit. The thermal relief circuit includes a thermal actuator which acts upon a ballcheck valve when the optimum transmission fluid temperature has been reached, opening the valve and allowing the fluid to flow through the transmission cooler circuit. As the transmission fluid cools, the thermal actuator modulates the valve effectively regulating the transmission fluid temperature at the nominal operating temperature.
Until such time that the transmission fluid reaches optimum temperature, the fluid is forced to re-circulate through the bypass circuit back to the transmission. The recirculation of transmission fluid bypassing the cooler circuit results in a reduced warm-up time. This results in an even greater improvement in fuel economy in colder climates. Once the fluid has reached optimum temperature, the thermal relief valve opens and fluid begins circulation through the cooler circuit before returning to the transmission.
One of the design considerations for a transmission cooler bypass assembly is the positioning of the bypass assembly within the extremely confined environment of a modern vehicle engine compartment. Since space is at a premium in such an environment, the bypass assembly must be able to be installed in a small space and, more importantly, and be adaptable to the available space within the engine compartment.
This consideration is even more important for an aftermarket cooler bypass apparatus where the engine compartment and heat exchanger or radiator were not initially designed to accommodate a cooler bypass assembly. This creates a need for a bypass assembly which has an adaptable mounting configuration to accommodate different available spaces within an engine compartment.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a cooler bypass assembly and installation kit which enables the bypass assembly to be easily connected to a heat exchanger, such as a vehicle radiator, and to accommodate the available confined space within an engine compartment. It would also be desirable to provide an improved cooler bypass assembly and kit which can be used to install a transmission cooler bypass assembly as an aftermarket product on an existing vehicle.